diff --git a/bin/git-check-assertions b/bin/git-check-assertions
index f7fe936..60de125 100755
--- a/bin/git-check-assertions
+++ b/bin/git-check-assertions
@@ -32,6 +32,23 @@ assert_fails() {
 }
 export -f assert_fails
 
+# helper functions inspired by bats/bats-assert
+run() {
+  set +e
+  ("$@")
+  status=$?
+  set -e
+  return 0
+}
+assert_success() {
+  if [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "Expected command to succeed, but it failed."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+export -f run assert_success
+
+# main flow
 orig_ref="$(git symbolic-ref --quiet --short HEAD || git rev-parse HEAD)"
 base="$(git merge-base main HEAD)"
 mapfile -t commits < <(git rev-list --reverse "${base}..HEAD")
diff --git a/test/git-check-assertions.bats b/test/git-check-assertions.bats
index f58c3ea..271d0d0 100755
--- a/test/git-check-assertions.bats
+++ b/test/git-check-assertions.bats
@@ -112,3 +112,22 @@ commit_with_assertion() {
 
   assert_success
 }
+
+@test "assert_success should succeed if the executed command succeeded" {
+  git checkout -b feature
+  commit_with_assertion $'run exit 0\nassert_success'
+
+  run git-check-assertions
+
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "assert_success should fail if the executed command failed" {
+  git checkout -b feature
+  commit_with_assertion $'run exit 1\nassert_success'
+
+  run git-check-assertions
+
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output --partial "Expected command to succeed, but it failed."
+}